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HomeยปGame FeaturesยปNintendo Switch 2 Playing It Safe May Not Matter if It Doesnโ€™t Nail The Specs

Nintendo Switch 2 Playing It Safe May Not Matter if It Doesnโ€™t Nail The Specs

Details create the big picture

Tom KillaleaBy Tom KillaleaFebruary 11, 20254 Mins Read
Nintendo Switch 2 console
Image source: Nintendo

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  • Predictably Unpredictable
  • Supply and Demand
  • Slow and Steady

Nintendo is well-known in the industry for thinking outside the box. The Japanese company seemingly pays little attention to what the likes of Sony and Microsoft are up to, instead focusing on producing hardware that elevates its tentpole IPs. You never quite know what Nintendo is going to do. But everything Nintendo reveals about Switch 2 seems surprisingly sensible. Whether this uncharacteristically pragmatic approach works, however, and the console is a success, will entirely depend on its specifics.

Predictably Unpredictable

Original Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 backward compatibility confirmation
Image source: Nintendo

If thereโ€™s one phrase that neatly encapsulates Nintendo, it might be โ€œpredictably unpredictable.โ€ The home of Mario and The Legend of Zelda has a reputation for making decisions that often appear baffling, and yet usually do no major harm to the company or its brand. Take its recent aggressive stance against emulators, for example, despite the fact emulation is technically legal. Or the recent shadow reveal of the successor to Nintendoโ€™s best-selling console, Switch 2.

Look back on Nintendoโ€™s recent hardware releases, and you see that unpredictability and innovation as clear as day. The Nintendo Wii eschewed the graphics race and traditional controllers in favor of motion control and a console designed to appeal to the mass market. The approach worked. What didnโ€™t, however, was the ill-fated, muddled Wii U, which sold horrendously before Switch came alongโ€”a true hybrid handheld consoleโ€”and turned Nintendoโ€™s fortunes around with incredible sales figures.

Now, Nintendo finds itself in a very strong position as Switch 2 looms, set to release later this year. And the company doesnโ€™t want to squander that enviable platform. So, in a truly unpredictable fashion, it isnโ€™t seeking wild hardware innovation or taking risky ploys. Instead, Nintendo is being extremely sensibleโ€”and some more uncharitable gamers might say boringโ€”with Switch 2.

For starters, Switch 2 is essentially a bigger, more ergonomically-friend Switch. While thereโ€™s nothing inherently wrong with that, itโ€™s a far cry from Switchโ€™s novel hybrid approach or the Wiiโ€™s gamble on motion controls. Switch 2 will also be backward compatible with Switch games, which is eminently sensible given Switchโ€™s massive install base. And then thereโ€™s the Nintendo presidentโ€™s recent remarks during an earnings call which, you guessed it, were very sensible. It seems that Nintendo are very aware of the weight of Switch 2โ€™s expectations, which is why the company needs to get the consoleโ€™s specifics bang on.

Supply and Demand

metroid prime 4 beyond
Image source: Nintendo

During the earnings call, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa told investors that the company is โ€œtaking the risk and proceeding with production to meet as large a demand as possible.โ€ Essentially, Nintendo has recognized that, as was the case with Switch, itโ€™s not easy to rapidly scale up console production. It doesnโ€™t want to be in a position where it cannot meet demand. Again, all are very sensible. Scalpers are a blight on the industry, so any attempts to combat them are certainly welcome.

Nintendo Just Silently Revealed the Switch 2 After Leak Forces Action
Related: Nintendo Just Silently Revealed the Switch 2 After Leak Forces Action

Furukawa also alludes to the difficulty in striking the balance between supporting the mass of existing Switch adopters while still encouraging the adoption of Switch 2. He acknowledges that โ€œmany people are playing Switchโ€, so support wonโ€™t dry up anytime soon. But he points out, correctly, that โ€œexclusive games are crucial when launching new hardware.โ€

What this likely means, in reality, is that there will be versions of landmark games like Metroid Prime 4: Beyond for both Switch and Switch 2. Perhaps, given backwards compatibility, it will be a single game, merely enhanced for Switch 2. This approach runs the risk of hamstringing the game so that it runs on old hardware, however, and risks a poorly-performing version on Switch.

Slow and Steady

nintendo switch 2 trailer
Image Source: Nintendo

At the end of the day, though, this surprisingly sensible, steady approach to Switch 2 may be irrelevant. First and foremost, Nintendo needs to get one thing right: the consoleโ€™s specifics. The price point must appeal to those who already have Switch, which is nearly everyone. And, while nobody expects Switch 2 to be the most powerful console on the market, it needs to be a significant upgrade on the horribly dated Switch.

Get these specifics right, and Switch 2 has every chance of success. Although some of our writers disagree, I think Nintendo is right to take a purely iterative approach for Switch 2. When you have a console that has sold over 150 million units, why toy with that formula?

But, as Iโ€™ve said before, itโ€™s crucial that Nintendoโ€™s April Direct tells us everything we want to know about Switch 2. Consider us teased and intrigued, but now we need enticing details. Otherwise, no amount of sensibleness will negate the risk that Switch 2 could be a hard sell, particularly with many games set to release on Switch. The ballโ€™s in your court, Nintendo.

Related Topics
Nintendo Nintendo Switch 2 Switch 2
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Tom Killalea
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A lifelong gamer and self-confessed Legend of Zelda fan, Tom's ever-growing Zelda collection is only dwarfed by his love of the video games medium. When he's not writing or gaming, Tom's usually discussing the games industry with anyone unfortunate enough to be in proximity.

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